The bunnies didn't make it
We left the nesting box with mom for several days - all readings suggested interfering as little as possible (especially since we'd already had to handle them). Taking everyone outside into the shade of the apple tree, we found the babies had all died in their nesting box. I had quickly felt warm little bodies on Tuesday, and hoped that mom had clued in. I'm not sure if it was simply too confusing for Sweetie, or if she rejected them because we'd handled them and brought them back to her. I don't think that she knew what to do - though she was lactating the morning after giving birth. I buried the little bodies in the comfrey patch, sad that their lives had been so cruel. It's a bit of an odd feeling, since we were growing them for food, after all - but I had expected to provide them with sunshine and fresh greens and an outside run before ending their short lives as quickly as possible. There seemed to be a bit more balance to the process with that scenario in mind. I will try breeding the two girls at the same time next week, so that Darla can be used as a foster mother if she seems to be more capable. I knew this venture wasn't going to be simple or easy, and I have never taken lightly the fact that I am responsible for the lives of my animals. I'm also very glad that I'm not urgently needing to be sustaining myself from the sweat of my own brow. This loss makes me even more aware of how fragile the food chain really is, and how much we take for granted the easy availability of food in our commercial 24/7 society.